Five Ways to Improve Your Day
Introduction
Recently, I’ve had many a long day. I’ve woken up at 2 o’clock in the morning to never return back to sleep or I have headaches that never go away or just don’t feel great for no reason at all. There are a couple of things that never fail to make me feel a little bit better, though, and I thought I should share these self care habits with you. I must admit that most of these things I had heard of before, but I never actually thought they would make a difference. I’ve recently discovered that I was very wrong.
1. Drink water!
Things that have water in them do not count. This is so important. If you forget to drink water for too long, you will begin to feel dehydrated and light headed and sick and achy or maybe even pass out. I don’t really want any of those things to happen to me so this is one of the easiest ways to prevent that. If you can, make sure your water has electrolytes. That helps to replenish you after a long and sweaty day
2. Eat (healthy) food!
My philosophy is that any food is better than no food. As someone who often forgets to eat, this is a daily struggle. Again, it will help you to have energy and function without passing out. Eating healthy food is preferable like having a home cooked meal or snacking on peanuts instead of Pringles but if you can only convince yourself to eat ice cream, then ice cream it is. I feel like this is pretty self explanatory so that’s all for eating food.
3. Take a daily multivitamin!
Most people think that taking vitamins is for old people. This is not true. If you find that you get sick easily, then taking vitamin C or eating food with vitamin C will be beneficial to you. Some people have weird genes that only have a decreased amount of necessary vitamins or minerals (me) so it might even be helpful to take survived vitamins. Also, this can help with so many things from digestion to hair falling out to getting sick or just to feeling like your best self. It is so worth the monthly investment and a great (and inexpensive) place to start for self care with chronic or mental illnesses!
4. Take a shower!
When was the last time you showered? If the answer is more than one day, try that. At the end of your shower, make sure you change it to clean clothes, too. Not only will this remove nasty dirty and bacteria from your skin, but it will give us introverts some vital alone time that can be so difficult to get.
5. Take a walk or just sit outside!
Going outside and being a part of nature (not in a city blanketed with smog) is so good for you. It allows you to take a break, get some vitamin D, rest your brain, and appreciate the beauty of the world. If you feel trapped inside, take a walk and pay attention to the sky or the flowers or even the kind of sketchy man-made lake. Just taking a moment to show down your brain and breathe in fresh oxygen, can completely change your mindset. If you don’t feel safe going outside where you live, go to a local park or garden. The same applies for those of you living in big cities.
Conclusion
Of course, none of these self care ideas will automatically solve all of your life’s problems but they will certainly help you to better manage them. These are things you may often hear from a person who has never experienced a single problem in their life, but I am telling you this as a person with chronic pain and chronic fatigue and mental illness. As a bonus point, if you feel too tired to do some of these things. That’s okay. It doesn’t mean they won’t help in a way that works specifically for you. For example, never eating or drinking can eventually lead to death so, maybe, ask a friend, who loves to cook, to come over and make a good meal with some nice refreshing water. If that makes you feel bad, give them the gift of your company or bribe them with their favourite candy. If you just feel completely unable to do any of this then honourary number six is to take a break. Watch youtube, listen to a podcast, crochet a scarf, etc. Do whatever you need to rest your body and calm down before taking that well-earned shower.
You’ve got this! I love and support you! I’ll see you next time!
